Mikoto's "Thanks"

"Mikoto, your Sharingan has evolved into a Two-Tomoe Sharingan."

Kushina spoke to the dazed Mikoto, and even Tsunade was quite surprised; it really had allowed the Sharingan to evolve.

At this moment, the dazed Mikoto finally regained her senses, her face pale enough to stir one's heart with pity.

"Um, Mikoto, are you alright?" Shin asked cautiously.

Although Shin knew there was no danger to her life, his methods were truly not something an average person could endure.

There was no helping it; if one wanted to evolve the Sharingan rapidly, one had to suffer. To reap rewards, one must pay the price.

"I'm fine." Mikoto gritted her teeth, her gaze fixed intently on Shin as she spoke.

"Ahaha, as long as you're fine."

Shin let out a dry laugh. Why did it feel like Mikoto wanted to eat him alive? Was this just an illusion?

Mikoto calmed her racing heart, though her emotions had yet to fully settle.

"Mikoto, actually, I think helping you unlock the Three-Tomoe Sharingan wouldn't be a problem either. Perhaps two more times and you'll be able to unlock the Three-Tomoe Sharingan. Want to give it a try?"

Hearing Shin's words, Mikoto took two steps back. She couldn't handle it this time; if she went through it twice more, she might be scared to death, let alone unlock the Three-Tomoe Sharingan.

"Forget it, I'd rather unlock it slowly on my own." Mikoto hurriedly refused.

"Is it really that terrifying?" Kushina asked.

Mikoto glanced at Kushina and said, "Kushina, you can go try it yourself, and then you'll know whether it's terrifying or not."

"I think I'll pass."

Thinking back to when Mikoto fell from the sky, it was heart-wrenching even for Kushina to watch. If she had to experience it for real, just the thought made Kushina shiver. It was better not to act tough.

Although Mikoto had been quite frightened this time, the gains were significant. Her chakra had directly doubled, and combined with the abilities of the Two-Tomoe Sharingan, Mikoto's strength was now no less than that of an Elite Chunin.

After Mikoto refused, Shin felt a tinge of regret, then prepared to go train, but was pulled back by Tsunade.

"Tsunade, why are you holding me back?" Shin asked curiously.

"You said before that Uchiha Madara didn't have a Mangekyou Sharingan, but an Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan. What is an Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan? Is it an evolution of the Mangekyou Sharingan?"

Tsunade had forgotten about this earlier, but now that it suddenly came to mind, she asked Shin about it.

"That's right, the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan is indeed an evolution of the Mangekyou Sharingan. You didn't even know that?"

Shin found it strange. Since the Senju and Uchiha clans were mortal enemies, how could she not even know that Uchiha Madara's Sharingan was an Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan?

"Is it really that strange that I don't know?"

Tsunade rolled her eyes at Shin, then asked suspiciously, "How do you know about it?"

"I, cough cough, I just know it like that." Shin didn't know how to answer.

Tsunade looked at Shin deeply. From the moment she first met him, Tsunade knew he had many secrets.

However, Tsunade wouldn't pry to the bottom of things. If there were secrets Shin didn't want to tell, Tsunade wouldn't ask.

Skipping that topic, Tsunade then asked, "What is the difference between the Mangekyou Sharingan and the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan?"

"The difference is huge. First, there's the ocular power. If the Mangekyou Sharingan's ocular power is a small stream, then the Eternal Mangekyou Sharingan's ocular power is the vast ocean."

"The Eternal Mangekyou can use the Perfect Susanoo, while the Mangekyou Sharingan lacks sufficient ocular power and cannot use the Perfect Susanoo."

"Furthermore, the Eternal Mangekyou can be used at will, whereas the Mangekyou Sharingan cannot. The consumed ocular power cannot be recovered, and excessive use leads to declining vision, eventually resulting in blindness."

"What? You mean excessive use of the Mangekyou Sharingan leads to blindness?"

Instantly, the three women—Tsunade, Kushina, and Mikoto—stood up.

"Don't worry, I'm a bit special; I won't go blind." Seeing the look in the three women's eyes, Shin knew they were concerned about his eyes.

"Really?" Kushina looked at Shin skeptically and said, "Don't you dare lie to us."

"I swear, if I'm lying to you, I'm a puppy, alright?"

After Shin swore, Kushina finally believed him.

"Rest assured, I have a way to evolve it into an Eternal Mangekyou. I'm going to train now."

Shin ran off to train, Mikoto checked the time and went to the kitchen to cook, while the remaining Kushina and Tsunade sat in the living room staring at each other.

Soon, Mikoto finished cooking and went to the courtyard to call Shin for dinner.

"It smells so good." Shin walked in and couldn't help but say as he caught the scent. Sure enough, even though Mikoto was young, her cooking skills were excellent.

"Shin, this pot of chicken soup is prepared for you, to thank you for helping me unlock the Two-Tomoe Sharingan."

"No need for thanks. Given our relationship, why bother with such formalities?" Shin said to Mikoto with a smile.

"What kind of relationship?" Kushina asked abruptly, her gaze fixed dangerously on Shin.

"Teammates, what else could it be?" Shin replied with an innocent expression.

"This chicken soup smells so good."

As Kushina looked at the soup and reached out to ladle a bowl, Mikoto suddenly tapped her hand away.

"Kushina, this is prepared for Shin. Only Shin is allowed to drink it. This is my way of thanking him, so he must finish it all," Mikoto said earnestly to Shin.

"Tch, big deal. Who cares if I don't get any," Kushina pouted.

"Since it's Mikoto's gesture, I will certainly finish it," Shin said, taking the bowl of soup Mikoto had served him.

Catching the aroma, Shin knew immediately that the soup must be delicious.

He blew on the steam and took a small sip, but his expression shifted slightly. It was incredibly salty—was salt free or something?

"What's wrong? Is it not to your liking?" Mikoto asked, smiling at Shin.

Shin looked at Mikoto, wondering if it was just his imagination, but her smile seemed a bit terrifying at the moment.

Tsunade ate in silence, but after one glance at Shin's face, she immediately knew there was something wrong with the soup. No wonder she wouldn't let them have any.

"Mikoto, it's a bit salty," Shin said with a bitter smile. He finally understood; this wasn't a thank you, it was clearly an act of revenge.

It seemed Mikoto was still holding a grudge over the method he used to help her awaken her Two-Tomoe Sharingan.

"Salty? If it's salty, then drink even more," Mikoto said with a smile.

Shin looked at Mikoto as if she were a demon.

Mikoto, are you a devil? You are no longer the gentle and kind Mikoto I once knew.

"Mikoto, I did my best to help you awaken your Two-Tomoe Sharingan, yet you treat me like this. Sigh." Shin let out a long sigh.

"Don't even get me started. I was scared to death," Mikoto rolled her eyes at him. Even now, the memory of the process to awaken her Two-Tomoe Sharingan still left her feeling shaken.

"Ahem, that was all part of the process to evolve your Sharingan. Look, didn't your One-Tomoe Sharingan evolve into a Two-Tomoe Sharingan?"

Shin coughed lightly; the process he used to help Mikoto had indeed been a bit extreme.

"Fine, I'll drink the whole bowl," Shin said with a tragic expression as he met Mikoto's resentful gaze.

"Don't drink it. I did put in a bit too much salt," Mikoto said, taking the soup away.

"It seems Mikoto still can't bear to see me suffer," Shin said with a cheeky grin.

Mikoto shot him a light glare, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Kushina watched the two of them and let out a soft huff, a sudden pang of sourness rising in her heart.